Trial by Fire
by cornunut
Summary: What if Azula captured Zuko at the beginning of Season Two, instead of him getting away with Iroh? What if he was sentenced to be imprisoned for life in the Boiling Rock? And what if, on a mission to rescue his father, Sokka ran into the person who used to be his worst enemy? Zuko/Sokka, season 3 au from TBR
1. Prologue

**TRIAL BY FIRE: PROLOGUE**

A/N: wow! my first fanfiction on this site. i'm excited to see what this one has in store! it's darker than what i usually write in my spare time, but this idea came to me and just won't go away, so here it is i guess?

* * *

The flames flickered brightly in the corridor to the throne room, darkening for the briefest moment as a shadow passed over them before lighting themselves again.

A girl was walking confidently through the corridor. Behind her were two guards, dragging along a teenager, who was beaten and bloody. A large scar stretched across the left side of his face, and he glared at the tiles as the guards hefted him after the girl.

Said girl stopped in her tracks, causing the guards to do the same. The boy looked up at her as she turned around, piercing him with her cold, calculating gaze.

"You know, I honestly expected you to put up more of a fight. Pity. Looks like all those years with Uncle made you weaker than you were."

Her brother glared at her, fire in his eyes. He finally broke the silence.

"Don't you dare talk about Uncle that way, Azula."

She laughed. "You don't have the rights to tell me what to do, Zuzu. You're about to be tried for war crimes. It's saddening that our dear old uncle can't make the meeting though. It's alright really. I have a team of assassins tracking him down as we speak."

Zuko looked up at her, horrified. "You-"

"What are you looking so anguished for? He doesn't deserve to live any more than you do, brother."

Azula started walking again, the click of her boots and the shuffling noise of her brother being dragged behind her by the two guards the only sounds echoing through the air. After a moment, Azula decided to break the silence again.

"If it were up to me, you would have been dead on that ship the moment I saw you. But, I suppose, Father probably has a long life of suffering ahead of you for being an enemy to the state."

She smiled to herself as the doors to the throne room loomed before her and her prisoner. She turned back to Zuko as he was struggling against the shackles that held him.

"Well, goodbye, brother. I doubt I'll ever see you again, but I don't plan on ending up wherever you go any time soon. I'm not a traitor," she spat, as the guards opened the doors and shoved him in.

The throne room was dark, except for the wall of fire separating the throne and the rest of the room. On the throne sat Zuko's father, the man who now decided his fate, his face impassive behind the flames. The guards deposited Zuko in front of the throne and bowed to the Fire Lord.

Ozai stood. "Leave us," he commanded, and the guards were on their way. He looked down on the boy that was barely seventeen, shivering on the tiles, blood dripping down from a cut on his forehead.

The Fire Lord sneered. "Pathetic," he spat.

Zuko looked up at him, eyes hollow. "Father, I-"

"You're a coward. And a traitor! And you can't even complete the most basal of tasks."

"I made a mistake, Father. Everything I did, I did it so that I could return home to you, and be at your side as your loyal son."

Ozai sneered. He strode through the flames, away from the dais, and began circling Zuko like a vulture would to a dying animal. And maybe he was a vulture, waiting to seize the boy in his claws, to rip him to shreds using Zuko's own insecurities. Zuko's own _weaknesses_.

"Tell me why, then, you constantly let the Avatar slip through your fingers? Why you and your precious uncle turned against your own country at the North Pole? Why you let Admiral Zhao die in front of you? No loyal son of mine would let all of these discrepancies happen."

Zuko coughed into the tile below him, spitting out blood. "Everything I did was done in the best interest of the Fire Nation. I located the Avatar. I did it all so I could return home, so I could help you win the war. I did it for you, Father."

"I never wanted you home, boy. You're weak. Finding the Avatar? That was just an excuse to rid myself of you, to keep you at sea for the rest of your miserable little life." Ozai looked down at his son, at the broken teenager now staring up at him with shock in his eyes, the pain not yet giving away to tears. "But, I see you've failed at even that. And now I have to put you in a place where I never have to see you again. Take him away!"

The two guards from earlier came back, yanking Zuko back away from the throne, as the boy began to thrash, screaming the likes of _fatherpleasedon'tdothisicandobetterplease_\- as Ozai walked back behind his wall of fire, back to safety. He smiled wickedly as the boy let the tears fall from his good eye, the left side having lost that capability long ago.

"You'll go to the Boiling Rock, and you'll rot. And don't you ever think of showing your face around here again, or you'll be dead where you stand. Goodbye, Zuko."

And as the doors slammed shut, he heard a howl of agony.

* * *

A/N: and that's the prologue! reviews are welcome :)


	2. 1

**TRIAL BY FIRE: 1**

A/N: hope you enjoy the first chapter!

* * *

The fire was warm, reflecting the atmosphere of the ragtag group of laughing teens surrounding it. It was the only source of light at the Western Air Temple, and the group huddled around the brightly flickering flame.

Toph laughed at something Aang had said as Katara began to distribute the evening's meal to everyone. She smiled as she felt the fire bloom, seemingly reflecting the warm atmosphere carried by her friends.

All, except for one.

Sokka was sitting outside of the circle, reading, and jumped when Katara nudged him to come and eat with the rest. He settled down in between Haru and Teo, obviously disgruntled at having whatever he was doing interrupted. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Toph decided to break it.

"It's nice to get a chance to relax a little," she said as she slurped up the stew given to her. "It hardly ever happens."

The rest murmured in assent, before lapsing into silence again, the only sound being the crackling of the flame and the clinking of cutlery against the bowls.

Sokka abruptly stood up, setting down his half finished meal before gathering the scrolls that he were reading before being called to eat. Ignoring Aang's call to _come back and eat, Sokka, you've gotta be hungry, you're _always _hungry, the stew's delicious_, the tribesman stalked off towards where Appa was resting, the vibrations caused by his stomps rumbling through the ground to collect at Toph's feet. She sighed.

"I'll go talk to him," she said.

Sokka had climbed in between two of Appa's legs, using them to shield his body as he read. He was so engrossed in the scrolls that he almost didn't notice Toph coming, but as her step was so heavy from being reliant on Earthbending to see, it was hard for her to sneak up on him. He looked up to see her glaring at him, and he started.

"What?"

"I should ask you the same thing, Snoozles. What's got your loincloth in a twist? Ever since we got back from the Fire Nation, you've been glooming up the whole place. Explain. Now."

Sensing that she left no room for argument, he sighed.

"If someone was captured by the Fire Nation, where would they be taken?"

Toph snorted. "How would you expect me to know that?"

"Just, where would you think?"

"Prison," she deadpanned.

"Ha ha, very funny, Toph."

She sighed, going to sit down in front of him. "This isn't about the invasion and your stupid saviour complex, is it?"

Sokka looked down. "Well, actually, it is."

She perked up at this as he continued. "It's mainly about my dad. I need to know what I put him through. I've been looking at our maps for locations that seem promising, and I think I found one."

"Well, what's it called?"

He grimaced. "The Boiling Rock."

"Classy."

"The map says that it's the highest security prison in the Fire Nation. It's in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation. We probably flew right past it on our way here," he continued. "It's either there, or Capital Prison, and I don't plan on strolling into Caldera City anytime soon."

"So, why do you need to know where it is? What are you planning?"

"Nothing!" At her raised eyebrow, he continued. "Boy, you're so paranoid. You'd think that being able to sense people sneaking up on you from fifty feet away would make you sane, but no. Just knowing makes me feel better, why don't you see that?" He grumbled as he gathered his maps. Toph snorted as he walked away.

"Yeah. I'm sure it does." _See you at Appa tonight, Snoozles._

* * *

Sokka crept through the camp, bag slung over his shoulder with his sword, being careful not to wake anyone, using the cover of Aang's loud snoring to hide the soft crunching of gravel that announced his steps. Thank the spirits for that boy.

As he crept closer to Appa, almost tripping over Momo, the bison woke up. Noticing this, the Water Tribe teen shushed him, causing Appa to resume his slumber. He grabbed tufts of fur to hoist himself up until he could reach the saddle, and-

"Not up to anything, huh?"

"GAH!" He screeched, losing his footing and getting the wind knocked out of him as he startled off of the bison. Toph winced as she heard the crash, and leaned over the side of the saddle.

Sokka took a moment to compose himself before getting up and stuffing his supplies back inside his bag. "Fine. You caught me. I'm going to rescue my dad. You happy now?"

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea, it was my decision to stay when things were going wrong. It's my mistake, and it's my job to fix it." He looked up at her, sadly. "And as much as I hate to admit it, I can't lose another parent to the Fire Nation. You can't stop me, Toph."

She looked at him for a moment, and he glared back at her, defiant, even though he knew she couldn't see him. Putting on a facade of stubbornness made him feel better about what he was doing, that ditching the gang with their only mode of transportation to carry out a half assed rescue mission was completely justified.

Finally, Toph looked away. "Fine, but if you go, I'm coming with you. I can't let you go alone."

Sokka sighed. "No. I have to do this alone. I can't let you come along, just to get hurt."

Toph rolled her eyes. "Snoozles, if any of the guards even try to touch me, I'll whoop their ass so hard with a dirt paddle they won't be able to sit without wincing again." Sokka finally cracked a smile, even a small one, at that. She could tell by the way he loosened up. "We can fly there on Appa and send him back once we reach our destination. I'm sure there'll be a way we can get off of the island once we have your dad. So, what do you say?" She held out her hand to the boy, who hesitated before taking it.

"Welcome aboard."

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"No, Toph."

The two were soaring high above the ocean, Sokka at the reins while Toph lounged in the saddle. Not having anything else to but annoy Sokka, she had taken up the habit of constantly asking him if they had reached their destination. They had been flying for about half a day now, and her strategy of pissing him off seemed to be working, if the increased irritation in his tone suggested anything.

She waited a few moments before asking again. "Are we there-"

"TOPH."

She grinned. "Relax, Snoozles. I'm just teasing."

They continued flying in silence for about half an hour before she felt him suddenly jerk upright, making her curious. "What happened?"

"I think we're here. There's steam rising in the distance, and if I'm not mistaken, that's the volcano we're looking for."

Toph sat upright and stretched, having dozed a bit before getting the good news, that the wait was over, that they could bust Sokka's dad out of prison and whoop some Fire Nation ass.

She was especially looking forward to that last bit.

Sokka steered Appa in towards the volcano, using the vapour as a cover. It was humid, and pretty soon they were both sweating. However, it was okay since Appa was landing, thumping his tail against the ground as he touched down.

Toph jumped off of the saddle and let herself stomp down onto the ground. As she did, she let herself gasp, because the prison was so complex, what with its twisting tunnels and various rooms that each had a slightly different build. It fascinated her, but at the same time left her mind reeling.

How the hell were they supposed to find Sokka's dad in all of this?

She vaguely felt Sokka walk up behind her to tell Appa to fly back to Aang, to act as if nothing had happened. The bison's responding grunt and absence from the ground let her know that he was gone, and that they were truly here.

Sokka climbed up the ridge they were on and whistled. "Toph, can you get us a tunnel right into the prison? Because there's a huge lake surrounding the prison and I don't think we want to swim in it."

She grinned. "Guess we know why they call it the Boiling Rock now, don't we?"

* * *

Adjusting the guard helmet on his head, Sokka looked around the corner to check for people coming. Toph was preoccupied with finding the smallest uniform in the closet because _seriously people, not everyone is this fucking large!_ Once she emerged, helmet in tow, they made their way out of the storage room.

"I hope these disguises work. We don't want anyone finding out who we are."

"We just need to lay low, and find my dad as soon as possible," Sokka replied.

They walked along the corridor, Toph using her Earthbending to make sure they didn't get lost, when suddenly she yanked him back against the wall. "There's people coming," she said. Sokka nodded as guards rushed past them, one of them noticing the two against the wall.

"We've got newbies? That's unusual, we weren't notified. Doesn't matter, there's a scuffle in the yard. Come on!" he yelled. Sokka and Toph just looked at each other and shrugged. _What's the worst that could happen?_

They followed the rest out into the prison yard, where the captives were standing in a circle, guards on hand in case something went wrong. As the two neared the circle, they saw that the prisoners were surrounding two people, a guard and a large, bulky prisoner, who were circling each other warily. They pushed through the bystanders to stand at the front with the rest of the guards, trying to act their part. Sokka glanced at Toph nervously, not prepared to face action this early into their mission.

"I didn't do anything! I'm going back to my cell!" the prisoner in the circle said. His voice was deep, reflecting his stature, and as he turned to walk away, the guard brandished a fire whip, cracking it behind him.

"Stop right there, Chit Sang."

Toph moved to go forwards to help the prisoner, but Sokka's grip on her arm stopped her. "We can't blow our cover," he explained, and she nodded and stepped back into line.

The guard continued. "I've had it with your unruly behaviour," he sneered, coming up behind Chit Sang, who scowled.

"What did I do?"

"He wants to know what he did," the guard smirked. He turned to Sokka. "Isn't that cute?"

When Sokka didn't answer, he turned back and put up his visor, glaring. Sensing Sokka's nervousness, Toph spoke up.

"Uh, yeah, very cute sir!" she said, trying to deepen her voice as to not reveal that she was a twelve year old in the middle of a prison.

"Super cute!" Sokka hastily added, bouncing up on the balls of his feet for added effect. The guard rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the prisoner.

"You didn't bow down when I walked by, Chit Sang," the guard stated, hands behind his back as he circled around his prisoner. Toph scoffed. _That fucker,_ she thought as Chit Sang started.

"What? That's not a prison rule!"

"Do it!" The guard glowered at the taller man, who stared back in defiance.

"Make me!"

They stayed like that for a moment, before the guard smiled and walked away. He suddenly turned around, cracking a fire whip towards Chit Sang, who had no choice but to firebend it away from him and send it towards the guard, who blocked it with a sweeping kick. Triumphant, the guard tutted.

"Firebending is prohibited. You're going to the cooler." Sokka watched as the taller man visibly paled before having his hands wrenched behind his back. The guard turned to him and Toph. "You two! Help me take him in!"

They followed behind the guard as he led Chit Sang to this so called cooler, which was located in a part of the prison separate from the main cells. Once arrived at their destination, Sokka yanked back the double doors as Toph pushed their prisoner in.

"The warden will deal with you soon," the guard smirked as the doors were shut. He turned to Sokka and Toph.

"So, I hear that you are our newest guards. Care if I take you on an introductory tour of the place?" At their enthusiastic nods, the guard led them down the winding hallways of the prison.

"So, what types of prisoners are kept here?" Sokka asked, after a short moment of silence. The guard shrugged.

"Well, I guess they're your typical folk. Serial killers, murderers, rapists, anyone who's a dangerous threat to the Fire Lord is chucked in here. Chit Sang over there, he's a draft dodger. Soldiers showed up at his home to take him for military training. He killed three of 'em before we got the cuffs around him." They turned a corner. "We've recently been getting war prisoners as well, after the fall of Ba Sing Se. The new arrivals have caused a shortage in rations, and as the government's main focus is on the front lines, they can't spare us any more supplies."

Toph nodded at this. "Did you get any prisoners from the recent invasion?"

The guard shook his head. "Nah, they're all being kept at the Capital Prison. It was closer, I suppose." Missing Toph's look of shock to Sokka, he continued. "The prisoners are separated by gender. There's a wing for the males, and a wing for the females. Then, over here, we have a wing for the coolers and solitary cells. All of them overlook the yard." The party of three reached the door they entered through, before the guard stopped and turned to them. "Actually, there's something else I want to show you. Follow me."

Lagging behind him, Sokka turned to Toph. "He's not here! We came all this way for nothing!"

Toph scoffed. "Calm down, Snoozles. We'll find your old man somehow. Once we get off of this rock."

The guard stopped in front of a door that had four guards posted outside of it. He turned back to the two. "This is our most dangerous prisoner. Princess Azula captured him personally several months ago. He's been here since then, kept in full solitary." The guards around the door parted so that Sokka and Toph could step closer. The former looked inside of the cell, curious as to who the prisoner was.

There was a boy, sitting curled in the middle of a cooler-esque cell, hugging his legs to his chest as he leaned back and exhaled. And it was his face that startled his Sokka, not the hands bound in gauntlets chained to either side of the small space that prevented their use, or the unhealthy jut of ribs from beneath the ripped, soiled uniform. It wasn't the vacant eyes staring up at him with unbridled loathing.

It was his face that startled Sokka, because he would never forget that scar.

* * *

A/N: reviews are welcome :)


	3. 2

**TRIAL BY FIRE: 2**

A/N: just a quick note: i based zuko's restraints off of elsa's from frozen. y'know the prison scene? did this mainly because i thought that azula would be too paranoid that her brother would somehow escape from _just_ the cooler, so she added those as an extra precaution. and i chose frozen cause it matched the visual i had in my head for the cuffs.

also, just a quick note for anyone wondering, iroh still did everything he did in canon (become a refugee, go to ba sing se, ask the gaang for help, and get captured by azula). the only difference is that his emo nephew wasn't there as well.

enough rambling from me! on with the story!

* * *

It was no secret that firebenders drew the power to use their element from the Sun and its warmth. Being stuck here, in the freezing cell that let in no light except for that of the torches outside of his door, was sucking the energy out of him. He was slowly going insane. But, he supposed, firebenders knew their own weaknesses. They would know how to imprison their own kind.

Zuko shivered as a new wave of cold air was released into the cooler. He'd become numb to the cold months ago, had to because he'd die otherwise. It was just an inconvenience to him.

_Yeah,_ he thought to himself bitterly. _An inconvenience that prevents you from bending._

He rubbed his shackled hands together. They were encased in metal gauntlets, preventing him from using them. Whenever the guards came by to feed him, usually every two or three days, he would have to clutch the small loaf of bread that they gave him between his hands, unable to move his fingers.

It sickened him that he was so used to it by now.

His once lean, muscular body was gaunt, hollowed by the tolls that prison took on him. His skin was ashen, making his scar stand out even more, and though it had been pale before, it was always seemingly glowing, like a fire was lit inside of him. His hair had grown out by now and hung on his head in a matted, dirty mop, a far cry from the proud phoenix tail he had once worn it in, back when he was chasing the Avatar. His eyes, once fiery with the motivation to achieve his goal, had become dull as he succumbed to the hopelessness of the Boiling Rock.

He heard movement outside of his cell and realized that they were going to feed him for the first time in what felt like forever. A half eaten piece of bread and a filthy cup were shoved through, a small opening at the bottom of the cooler door, the water in the cup splashing over the sides and freezing upon contact with the floor of the cell. In hindsight, he realized he should have been disgusted that they were giving him _leftovers,_ but he hadn't eaten in five days now and was absolutely ravenous. From the small amounts of gossip he heard outside his door as the guards changed shifts, there was a food shortage within the prison, but what caused it was still unknown to him. He thirstily gulped down the water before switching to the bread, attempting to wipe the dirt from his mouth with his arm to no avail, as months trapped in the cramped freezer had made him downright disgusting, covered in his own blood and filth.

Zuko laid back on the floor, fatigued, and wishing hopelessly for a dreamless sleep, an escape from the terrors that plagued him at night, the nightmares he broadcasted to the guards through screams.

But, of course, when did his wishes ever come true?

* * *

Zuko woke to the pounding of footsteps nearing his cell. He sat up, and frowned. The guards outside weren't moving, so it wasn't a shift change. That could only mean one thing, and it was never good.

_Guess I'm the highlight of their little tour,_ he thought to himself. Being in prison had only embittered him further, turning every thought of his cynical. He rolled himself in a ball, ready to protect himself. The last shipment of new guards had left small burns along his ribs and back, pleased to torture their disgraced prince, and he didn't want to go through that again.

The footsteps stopped, and he heard a gruff voice speak. "This is our most dangerous prisoner. Princess Azula captured him personally several months ago. He's been here since then, kept in full solitary."

Zuko saw the guards step closer, and one of them looked in through the small window in his door. He saw the blue eyes widen in surprise as he saw who it held, and that disturbed him.

Why did those eyes look so familiar?

* * *

Sokka took a step back from the viewing window of the cell. "Th-that's-"

"Prince Zuko, I know," the guard stated, satisfied. "He was arrested on charges of treason and conspiring with the enemy. The Fire Lord felt that death was too merciful a punishment for his son. So he sent him here."

Sokka could only stare. Surely this couldn't be the same person who had chased them across the world only half a year ago? He just looked so… _defeated._ But the scar told him otherwise, and he could only watch as Zuko shivered in a futile attempt to keep himself warm.

The guard's voice brought him out of his musings. "I'll get a copy of your schedules to you by dinner. They've got your shifts on there. Who knows, you might end up with this bastard." He punctuated the last bit with a bang on the cell door that caused both Zuko and Sokka to jump. "Ain't that right, traitor?" he yelled into the cell as the banished prince looked away.

Composing himself, the guard led them back outside to the main yard, where the prisoners were still socializing. He left them to their own devices, and as he walked away, Toph turned to Sokka.

"You knew that guy, didn't you."

Knowing it was futile to lie around her, he nodded. "You know how I'm always talking about an angry jerk in a ponytail chasing us around the world before we met you?"

Toph's eyes widened. "That was him?"

"Yeah. Now that I think about it, we haven't seen him in a while. Only his uncle. In Ba Sing Se."

Toph grimaced. "Well, let's focus on what we came here to do. We need an escape plan. Think you can get us one, O High And Mighty Plan Guy?"

Sokka grinned. "I can do just that."

* * *

"I'm doing WHAT?"

Toph shouted as Sokka read her schedule to her. He grimaced as heads turned, mutters of "fresh meat" going around as he ignored them and turned back to Toph.

"Hey, if it's any consolation, I'm guarding him too."

Toph groaned. "I'm gonna be completely honest with you, pulling an all-nighter to make sure a guy who may or may not try to kill me doesn't escape prison was never on my bucket list before I met you."

Sokka smiled. "Thanks."

She punched his arm. "Anytime, Snoozles."

As night fell, the two of them followed the other two guards sharing their shift to Zuko's cell, ready for an uneventful night of staring at a wall and praying that time sped up.

Instead, the night was anything but uneventful.

The first thirty minutes were spent listening to the two guards opposite them gossip and converse amongst each other. Clearly, they had done this before, and deemed Zuko as someone who was not a threat. Sokka, having run into the firebender in battle multiple times before, was on high alert, ready for Zuko to burst out of the cell, to prove that his weakness and helplessness was just a facade. However, that never happened, because halfway through their companions' talk, the conversation was cut off by a loud scream from inside the cell.

Sokka startled and ran to the viewing window. Zuko was curled in on himself, shackled hands pulled to his chest as he writhed in his sleep, groaning. He looked back to the other two guards, who were clearly uncomfortable.

"Does this kind of thing happen a lot?" he asked. The guards looked at each other awkwardly before one of them answered.

"Every night," she said. "We usually leave when he gets too loud. He won't be able to escape anyways." As if to emphasize her point, Zuko screamed again, this time bordering a sob.

Sokka watched as the guards started to walk away. "Why are you leaving? He's a threat. He could still escape, you know."

"Suit yourself. But he's about as much of a threat as a waterbender in a lunar eclipse." And with that, they left the two at the cell door.

Sokka turned to look back into the cell. Zuko was shifting around in the middle of his nightmare. His arms were twitching up to his face, held back by the gauntlets, almost as if they were shifting towards his scar. Sokka felt as if he was witnessing something extremely private, because it wasn't every day Zuko ran around showing insecurities about the blemish across his face. Sokka was about to turn back to his duties when Zuko began muttering in his sleep.

"No… Father… please, don't!"

His eyes widened and before he was conscious of what he was doing, his arms were already reaching to pull back the heavy door, despite Toph's shouts of _Sokka what the fuck are you doing guards could come and bust your sorry ass,_ but he was already inside, grabbing Zuko by his too-thin arm and shaking him awake.

The boy jerked in confusion at the touch of another person, then shot straight up as he recognized the guard uniform. In doing so, his hand flailed upwards, and he uppercutted Sokka in the jaw with the gauntlet, knocking his helmet off and to the ground. He swore, rubbing his jaw as Zuko shifted as far back as the chains would let him, but then froze as he saw who was beneath that helmet.

Their eyes met.

"_You!" _Zuko hissed, lunging forward to be abruptly pulled back by his restraints. Sokka stumbled to his feet, grabbing the helmet and yanking the door shut to drown out Zuko's desperate yells and snarls. He put it back on, only to be punched in the arm by Toph, yelping and rubbing the spot.

"That's what you get for being an idiot," she said, and he just nodded, agreeing.

What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

Back at the camp, Katara was running towards the sleeping area, quickly shaking Aang awake, who slowly rubbed his eyes and turned over in his sleeping bag.

"Five more minutes, 'tara," he mumbled, but she kept at it.

"Aang, this is important!"

"Sleep is important, Katara."

"Aang, Appa's _missing!_" At this, Aang quickly woke and raced towards where Appa had been just yesterday, and, as Katara had reported, he was gone.

"No," he said, struck with disbelief as he made his way towards the pile of hay that was supposed to be the bison's breakfast. Instead, it sat, untouched. As his eyes filled with tears at the thought of his oldest friend being ripped away from him _again_, Haru strolled over to where they were standing.

"Hey, have either of you seen Toph? She was gonna teach me a few earthbending tricks, but I can't find her anywhere."

Aang turned towards him. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Toph back at the main courtyard where they slept and had their meals.

Katara spoke up. "I haven't seen Sokka either. He's usually up at this time."

Just then, Momo ran across their feet, carrying a paper. Aang grabbed him by the tail and read the contents of the note.

"Need meat. Gone fishing. Back in a few days. Sokka and Toph. One more thing: sorry we had to take Appa." As he finished reading, Katara threw her hands up in the air.

"Oh, I am going to KILL him when he gets back!"

* * *

A/N: again, reviews are welcome :)


	4. 3

**TRIAL BY FIRE: 3**

A/N: here is the next chapter! there's an important author's note at the end, so please be sure to read that!

* * *

Sometimes, Zuko swore that the universe hated him.

It wasn't like there was much to contradict that statement. His mother left, his father melted half of his face off, and his sister stuck him in a prison, where he would most likely spend the rest of his short life. Eventually, he mused, his father would get bored of his shivering and would execute him in the most brutal way imaginable.

He'd seen it happen before.

But nothing could have prepared him for _this._ It was bad enough that the Avatar had gotten away from him, but now his little Water Tribe pet was haunting him as well. How the hell did he even wind up in the Boiling Rock?

Zuko leaned back to hit his head against the wall of the cell, legs stretched out in front of him so that they touched the door. He just prayed to any spirit that might be witnessing his plight that he got out of this mess without running into the warrior again.

Of course, things never went his way.

* * *

"That's what you get for being an idiot."

Sokka hissed as Toph punched him in the arm. He knew that his recklessness may have just put them in danger, but he couldn't help it.

"He was screaming in his sleep. I may hate the guy, but I'm not heartless." They walked away from the large metal door restraining the scarred prisoner, and rounded the corner. "Besides, I think I have an escape plan."

Toph perked up, but still kept a half-hearted scowl on her face. "This better be good," she grumbled.

"Trust me, it is." They kept walking, making their way to the front of the guards' barracks. "I got a look at the cell he was in. It's completely insulated, and bolted to the wall of the prison. I bet if we were to turn it on its side, it would have the same shape as one of our canoes at home."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Continue."

"Anyways, if the cell is insulated to keep the cold in, that means it has to keep the heat _out!_ Since it's canoe shaped, we could use it to float across the boiling lake!"

Toph's eyes widened. "I bet the other coolers are shaped the same way, if not a little smaller," she mused. "If we could find a way to get into one of them-"

"Then we're home free!" Sokka exclaimed.

A smirk slowly crept over Toph's face. "Tomorrow, we leave this crater behind."

* * *

Guard duty had always seemed tedious to Sokka, but never had he thought it would be this bad. He stared over the railing into the prison yard, making sure that no one tried to escape or start a riot. All the while, he quietly conversed with Toph about how to procure a cooler for their escape.

"Can you metalbend the screws out of a cooler when we're going for guard duty tonight?"

Toph frowned. "If they're close enough for you to see them, then I can probably-"

"Prisoners! Back in your cells!" The bell rang out across the yard, but Sokka's attention was drawn elsewhere.

"Toph, look!"

"You may have forgotten, but I'm fucking blind."

"Sorry. But maybe there's a bright side to all of this! I see Suki!"

Toph perked up as Sokka practically flew down the stairs from the tower they were in, trying her best to keep up. She had met Suki briefly when they were travelling across the Serpent's Pass together, and had liked the Kyoshi Warrior immensely. Suki was a nice girl, and good for Sokka, grounding him. She could feel the young tribesman's heart beating a mile a minute while he raced to Suki's cell. She stomped her foot to get a better look at her surroundings.

"Sokka, I think this is her cell."

"Alright. You can, uh, hide and keep an eye on us from another room."

Toph smiled, and went to hide in the nearest empty cell. Sokka looked back before opening Suki's cell as quietly as possible.

Suki was lying on her cot, hands behind her head. She immediately sat up upon hearing the scraping of metal on metal as her door was opened, and, upon seeing Sokka, scowled.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?"

Sokka was a bit taken aback by her hostility, but nevertheless carried on. "You mean you don't recognize me?"

Suki's voice took on a bitter tone. "You people all look the same to me," she frowned.

"Oh? Then maybe you'll recognize this…"

Sokka leaned in for a kiss, but a hand came up and grabbed the lower half of his face. Within a second, he was shoved against the door, helmet knocked off his head and clattering onto the floor.

_They really should design those things better. First Zuko now Suki…_

Sokka didn't have any time for his inner grumblings as Suki's face lit up seeing who was underneath the helmet.

"Sokka!" She ran up to him. "It's you!"

She pulled him up and into her arms. Still somewhat in shock, he didn't immediately return the gesture, but when she rested her head on his shoulder, he melted and held on to her shirt. Feeling his shoulder get wet, he pulled Suki away only to realize that she was crying. Opening his mouth to speak, he stopped when she sniffled.

"What…"

"It's just so… _awful _here. I'm so glad to see you, Sokka." He cupped her cheek in his hand, and she placed her own over it. "I knew you'd come."

"The other Kyoshi Warriors, are they here?"

"No, I don't know where they are. They locked me in here because I'm the leader."

"Well, you won't be here for long. I'm busting you out."

She looked shocked, before bursting out, "You can't get out of here, Sokka. I've tried. Dammit, I've spent nearly my entire time here trying to find some way to escape this hellhole. I've gotten caught every time, and the things they do to you when you try to escape-"

Her voice broke, and she buried her face in his uniform, sobbing. Taken aback, Sokka wrapped his arms around her, running his hands up and down her back. His hand slipped under her shirt, and he was shocked at the outlines of welted scars he found there. Suki flinched, and Sokka swallowed down the lump in his throat, steel in his voice when he spoke..

"They'll never hurt you again. I promise."

* * *

As evening fell, Sokka and Toph made the now familiar trek to the cooler tower. Sokka had laid out the plan to Suki shortly before he had left, and he and Toph were now trying to find the best time to scout the prison for a suitable launching spot for their makeshift canoe. Stationing themselves in front of the door, they noticed that their companions from last night decided to ditch their assignment altogether. Figures.

Sokka was restless knowing that Zuko had recognized him the night before, glancing back at the ex-prince every five minutes to make sure that he wasn't doing anything suspicious. It wasn't like Zuko could do anything with his hands restrained like they were; the gauntlets made it impossible for him to move them. Instead, he was sitting hunched over in a lotus position, trying to conserve as much body heat as he possibly could. Eventually, Toph got tired of his paranoid behaviour, his fidgeting getting on her nerves.

"Would you cut that out? It's not like he's actually able to do anything, you know."

Sokka sighed. "I just want to be careful. Better to be safe than sorry." He turned around again to peer into the cell, but jumped as he saw a pair of amber eyes glaring up at him, one a slit because of the scar around it.

"What the hell!"

"I'm not blind like the girl, you know. I can see you looking at me."

Sokka scoffed. "And why would you care? For all I know, you could still breathe fire at me through the window."

Zuko was not impressed. "Of course an idiot like you wouldn't know that firebenders can't bend in extreme cold. Because, obviously, I'm some sort of threat."

Sokka stared at him. "You're kidding me, right."

"Do I look like I'm fucking kidding around? I can't bend. My hands are restrained. You're free to do whatever you want to me. Besides, why are you even here? Got tired of being the Avatar's little pet and decided to break into a prison for a change of scenery? You never were the brightest, peasant."

"I could say the same for you. Decided you liked the cold so much in the North Pole, you decided to lock yourself in a freezer so that you could never leave it behind? Or did your dad finally get tired of sending you everywhere to do his dirty work for him? Decided your sister was better at the job? Because she was; she actually managed to hurt Aang. Badly."

Zuko's head shot up, ignoring the jab about his father. "The Avatar is dead?"

"No. He barely made it out though. Azula packs a serious punch with her lightning."

"I've experienced it first hand," Zuko started. He looked down, voice small. "She locked me up here. Caught Uncle and I in a small town on the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom. I don't know where he is right now." He looked up again, pain evident in his eyes. "I don't even know if he's alive."

Toph spoke up. "We ran into him in Ba Sing Se. He helped Katara get Aang to safety. Azula captured him when she took over the city, though."

Something in Zuko's eyes broke. He staggered back, shaky legs bracing himself against the wall as he brought a hand up to his face, forgetting the gauntlet. He looked at Sokka through the window, his mouth set in a grim line.

"They think Uncle and I turned traitor at the North Pole because we stopped Zhao from killing the moon spirit. If Uncle helped the Avatar, they-" He stopped for a moment to regain control. "They'll put him through so much worse than me."

Sokka hesitated before speaking. "He's strong. He'll get through whatever they throw at him."

Zuko sat back down, curling his legs up to his body, defeat evident in his voice.

"I sure hope he does."

* * *

A/N: fiRST of all, i am extremely sorry for not being able to update in *checks calendar* two months! i've just been very busy for that length of time, but, good news! i finally am not going to have to be busy 24/7, so the next update should be in a week or two.

secondly, i'll try to have updates consistent in terms of length of the chapter and the time it takes to upload, but i can't really make any promises. this chapter is the shortest one so far (not counting the prologue) and i feel really bad about that.

next chapter: drama, coolers, and chit sang!

reviews are welcome :)


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